1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a venting blade assembly for use in a venting operation during poultry processing. In particular, the present invention is directed to a venting blade assembly which effectively performs the venting operation while maximizing yield.
2. Prior Art
Poultry processing today is a mechanized and automated system for transforming live birds into food products. By way of example, one poultry operation may process over a million birds per week. While processing operations may vary, in a typical process, the poultry are individually moved from cages or boxes and then hung by their feet upside down with the necks down. The birds are hung on shackles or hooks by their feet on a moving conveyer line or chain. The birds are then moved from station to station for sequential processing.
The birds are initially stunned with electricity and then conveyed to a neck cutter. Blood is then allowed to drain from the birds. The carcasses are then either immersed in hot water or sprayed with steam in order to scald the skin, which loosens the feathers. The carcasses are then moved by the conveyer belt to automatic feather picking machines which employ rotating fingers that knock off most of the feathers. The carcasses are washed and scrubbed by machine at one or more stations. Other processes include cutting the head and feet off and eviscerating internal organs.
In one particular operation, known as the venting process, the carcass is moved to a venter module assembly station. The carcass is held by a strap or hooks in place. A probe tip moves axially toward and into the cloaca of the bird while a rotating cylindrical venting blade cuts the skin and meat around the cloaca. As the probe tip is removed, the cloaca, bursa and the large intestine are together removed from the carcass of the bird.
It is required to remove the entire cloaca, bursa and the large intestine and to remove extraneous material. For example, government regulations such as 9 CFR §381.76 describe federal standards for inspection and standards for nonconformance.
The cloaca, bursa and large intestine are removed and separated from the carcass of the bird. These are then discarded as offal or ground and used as protein, such as in pet food.
It has been observed that the skin surrounding the cloaca is extremely loose and tends to gather as the existing cylindrical venting blade engages the carcass, which results in removal of additional skin, meat and fat.
Not only is the meat of the bird valuable but the skin and fat is valuable as well. Accordingly, it is desirable to remove the cloaca and bursa as well as intestine while removing only the minimum amount of meat, skin and fat. To the extent excess meat, skin and fat is removed, it decreases the yield.
Accordingly, it is a principal object and purpose of the present invention to provide an improved venting blade assembly for poultry processing.
It is a further object and purpose of the present invention to improve yield of the poultry during processing while meeting all pertinent regulations and codes.
It is a further object and purpose of the present invention to minimize removal of excess meat, fat and skin during the venting process while maximizing yield.